Garmin has taken the next step to becoming a force in Africa, hiring Car & General to be its East African distributor in the region.

Garmin will sell handheld GPS devices that will aid in farming, mining, wildlife conservation, sustainable fishing and surveying. The GPS giant will also sell automotive units, including the popular nuvi line which offers preloaded maps in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

In a statement, Garmin said it chose Car & General as its distributor because of its connections in 11 African countries, including Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Somalia, Uganda, Seychelles, Rwanda, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Burundi and Eritrea.

“We are pleased to announce this partnership and we welcome Car & General into the Garmin family," said Walter Mech, Managing Director, Garmin Sub-Saharan Africa. "This partnership will strengthen Garmin's presence in this rapidly growing region and we look forward to closely supporting our partners and customers in East Africa."